The University Grants Commission (UGC) has ordered the Director of Collegiate of Education to act on the petition seeking CBI probe into Nirmala Devi Sex-for-cash scandal. This order follows a complaint filed by the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee Minority Department (TNCC Minority), Dr J Aslam Basha.
Aslam had written to the UGC and the Home Ministry seeking a Madras High Court supervised CBI probe into the allegations of Nirmala Devi luring students for sexual favours.
TNCC Minority posted the orders on its Twitter page.
UGC issues orders to Director Of Collegiate of Education for action against the petition of @TNCCMinority Chairman @JAslamBasha demanding High Court monitored CBI probe on Nirmala Devi issue luring girl students for sexual favours #NirmalaDevi #CBIEnquiry #AslamBasha pic.twitter.com/c9BHOLoj59
— Tamil Nadu Minority Congress (@TNCCMinority) September 14, 2018
On August 11, the Home Ministry had issued a notice to the UGC demanding the action taken on this petition so far.
In its order dated August 27, 2018, the UGC said, “In this regard, you are requested to look into the issue and take necessary action and send the required information directly to the applicant.”
Nirmala Devi, as an assistant professor in the Devanga Arts College in Virudhunagar, was arrested in April after four students submitted audio clips of the phone conversations with her and accused her of trying to lure them into sex work. The case was handed over to the CB-CID. Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit had also formed a one-man committee under retired IAS officer R Santhanam to probe the allegations.
The two accomplices, who were also accused along with Nirmala Devi, are V Murugan, assistant professor at the Madurai Kamarajar University, and Karuppasamy, a former research student of fine arts at the university. The CB-CID took them into custody and conducted the investigation.
The CB-CID submitted its report to the Madras High Court in August, stating that Nirmala Devi was luring students to provide sexual favours to the co-accused in the case — Murugan and Karuppasamy. The report also indicated that there were no ‘higher officials’ involved in the scandal as mentioned by Nirmala Devi in the audio clips submitted by the students.
Source: The News Minute